Richard Florida on Bicycling and Cities
posted by Joe on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - Permalink
Bike Power in Toronto [photo credit]
In case you haven't heard of him, economist Richard Florida is often described as an "Urban Guru" as he knows what makes modern cities "tick", and has written about it in books such as Cities and the Creative Class:
Richard Florida outlines how certain cities succeed in attracting members of the "creative class"--the millions of people who work in information-age economic sectors and in industries driven by innovation and talent. Cities that succeed, Florida argues, are those that are able to attract and retain creative class members. They don't do this through the traditional strategies of tax incentives, suburban housing developments, and loose regulation, though; creative class members don't care about those details. Rather, they care about amenities and tolerance, and are drawn to cities with thriving bohemias and large gay populations.Florida recently made the move to Toronto (which, yes, he has deemed a "Creative Class City") to work at the Rotman School of Management, and writes a column and blog for the Globe and Mail.
Yesterday, he blogged about Bicycling and Cities, and I think Toronto came out rather well:
I became a cyclist in Boston and loved riding out west of the city. On one of my very first rides on my first serious road bike, some clown in Boston drove by and heaved an orange at me - fortunately his aim was poor and he missed... Even though I haven't gotten out yet, Toronto seems very bike-friendly. It's the only place I've ever lived that people chastise me for driving and tell me to get back on the bike.Florida was spurred on by the question of "Does bicycle friendliness contribute to a city’s economic development?" and the statement of Dave Atkins of Boston that:
The bike component is a key feature for any city to achieve the kind of living balance that so many of us want these days. We don’t want to commute by car in from the suburbs. We want to be a part of where we live and work. The bike can really help that feeling of connectedness.Florida asks for our thoughts on the issue of how much cycling is accepted in Toronto. Let him know what you think.
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